Telegraph-sounder.



' No. 760,029. PATBNTED MAY 17, 1904.

J. F. SKIRRDW. TELEGRAPH SOUNDBR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1904. N0 MODEL.

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VIIIIIIIIIII 333 CHIMMQL SJW m: Nonms PETERs co, ImmQ-u'mm WASNINGTQN.04 c4 Patented May 1'7, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. SKIRROW, OF EAS" ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

TELEGRAPH-SOUNDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,029, dated May 17,1904:.

Application filed January 8, 1904'. Serial No. 188,238. (No model.)

To all whom, it mag concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. SKIRROW, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph-Sounders, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig.-2, a plan View; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional View of themagnet-adjusting means; Fig. i, a detail elevation of the armature; Fig.5, a detail vertical sectional view of the means for adjusting thetension on the armature, and Fig. 6 a similar view showing a slightlydiiferent form of the armature-tension adjustment.

This invention is particularly. designed for use in telegraph-sounders;but it is equally applicable to other forms of electric signalinginstruments, such as relays and transmitters.

The main object of the invention is to improve the mechanicalconstruction of telegraph instruments, and particularly to provide asounder wherein the electromagnet may be adjusted toward and from thearmature without changing the angular relation of the magnet-cores andthe armature.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicientmeans for quickly and positively adjusting the electromagnet.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a simple,efficient, and improved tension-adjusting means whereby the tension onthe armature may be minutely varied.

Other important advantages and objects will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates a wooden basefor the instrument; 2, a metallic supporting-plate mounted thereon andspaced therefrom by means of lugs 3. The wooden base is provided with inverted-cone-shaped feet 4. Rising from the transverse center of thesupporting-plate, near the front end thereof, is the sounding-post 5, atthe upper end of which is an integral downward and rearward extendingbrace-bar 6, the lower end of which is secured rigidly to thesupporting-plate. From the upper end of the sounding-post a horizontalarm 7 extends forward and carrles at its front end the depending arm 8.Secured to the forward edge of the supporting-plate is anarmature-supporting bar 9, which extends slightly above thesupporting-plate, the ends of said bar b'eing horizontally slotted nearits upper edge to receive the thin flat rearward ly-extendingarmature-carrying spring-plates 10. The ends of these plates are rigidlysecured to the armature-carrying bar by screws 11. The armature-post 12is vertical and is formed at its lower end with the lateral-extendinghorizontal feet 13, whose outer ends are horizontally slotted to receivethe rear ends of the arma ture-carrying plates 10, these spring-platesbeing secured to said feet by means of the screws 14'. Thesearmature-carrying springs are of sufficient strength to support theweight of the entire armature. The armature-post near its upper end isprovided with a sounding-point 15, which is adapted to contact with aforward-extending anvil-point 16, carried by the sounding post. .Tolimit forward swing of the armature-post, the arm 8 is provided with theadjustable stop 17.

To the armature-post near its lower end is connected a forwaid-extending tension-spring 18, to which is connected thetension-thread 19, this thread being wound upon the rotatabletension-bar 20. This bar is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 as being mountedin ahorizontal position, while in Fig. 6 it is shown as being mounted ina vertical position, and of course I desire it understood that I may useit in either position. In order to retain the adjusting-bar 20 in itsadjusted position and against accidental rotation to maintain thedesired tension on the armature, a spring friction device is provided.As shown in Fig. 6, the lower end of the tension-bar 20 is within ahollow post 21 and is provided therein with a disk 22- Below said diskis arranged an expansible spring 23, said spring bearing on the lowerface of the disk and holding it against the under side of the top of thepost 21. This post is secured to the base of the sounder by means of aclamp nut 24, which extends through the base and up into the post, saidpost being internally threaded at its lower end for this purpose. Itwill be noted that the clamping-nut not only secures the post to thebase, but also determines the amount of pressure exerted by the springon the disk 22.

By screwing the nut into the post the tension will be increased, thereverse operation reducing the tension. As arranged in Fig. 5, thecompression-spring exerts a pressure on the tension-bar through afollower-plate 22, the efiect being practically the same as when theparts are arranged as shown in Fig. 6. It will thus be seen that Iprovide a very simple and efficient armature-tension-adjusting device bywhich minute variations in tension may be secured and which, while beingmain tained in its adjusted position, may be instantly and readilyoperated to increase or decrease the tension.

The electromagnet 31 is mounted to slide horizontally on thesupporting-plate, its crossbar being provided with a horizontalrearward-extending rod 25, which is provided on its under side with arack. This bar extends through a vertical post 26, in which the innerend of a rotatable shaft 27 is mounted. This shaft within the post isprovided with gearteeth which mesh with the teeth of the rack and bywhich the magnet may be quickly moved toward or from its armature. Toretain the magnet in its adjusted position and at the same time permitit to be quickly adjusted in either direction, a coil expansible spring28 is mounted within the post 26 and bears against the side of therack-bar. The pressure exerted by this spring is strong enough toprevent any accidental movement v a of the magnet or any movementthereof by reason of the pull exerted by the magnet on its armature-bar12; To limit the rearward movement of the magnet, astop 29 is providedon the rack-bar, which contacts with the forward face of the post 26,the forward movement of the magnet being limitedby the contact of itscross-bar with the brace 6. To hold the magnet to the supporting-plate,a short cross-bar 30 is secured to the brace 6.

It Will thus be seen that by providing avertical armature-post carryingthe horizontal armature-bar and mounting the magnet to move horizontallyon its supporting-plate said magnet may be adjusted without varying theangular relation between the magnet-cores and the armature-bar. This isa great advantage, as the best results are obtained when thearmature-cores are perpendicular to the armature-bar, and it is obviousthat if this angular position is altered the efliciency of the appatuswill be decreased.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a telegraph-sounder the combination, of a base, a verticalsounding-post, a vertical armature-post, a horizontal armature-bar onsaid sounding-post, a horizontally-arranged electromagnet, arearward-extending rack-bar secured to the electromagnet, a rotatabletoothed device engaging said rack-bar, a

spring bearing against said rack-bar and adapted to maintainthe armaturein its ad usted position and to permit it to be manually adjusted ineither direction and an inclosing case for the spring and the tootheddevice, said case forming a guide for the rack-bar.

2. In a telegraph-sounder the combination, of a base, a verticalsounding-post, a vertical armature-post, a horizontal armature-bar onsaid sounding-post, a horizontally-arranged electromagnet, arearward-extending rack-bar secured to the electromagnet, a' rotatabletoothed device engaging said rack-bar, a friction device bearing againstsaid rack-bar and adapted to maintain the armature in its adjustedposition and to permit it to be manually adjusted in either directionand an inclosing case for the spring frictional device and the tootheddevice, said case forming a guide for the rack-bar.

3. In a telegraph-sounder the combination, of a'base, a verticalsounding-post, a vertical armature-post, a horizontally-arrangedelectromagnet, horizontal armature carrying strips of thin flexiblematerial, said strips being connected to said armature and to a suitablesupporting means, a rearward-extending rack-bar carried by theelectromagnet, a rotatable toothed device engaging said rack-bar, africtional device engaging said rack-bar to maintain the magnet in itsadjusted position.

4:. In a telegraph-sounder the combination, ofa base, a supporting-platemounted thereon and provided With lugs to space the plate above thebase, a vertical sounding-post carried by the supporting-plate, avertical armature-post, horizontal flexible armature-carrying stripssecured thereto, means for supporting said strips, a tension deviceconnected to said armature-post, a horizontal electromagnet mounted onthe supporting-plate, means for moving said magnet toward and from thearmature, a frictional retaining means to hold i said magnet in itsadjusted position.

5. In a telegraph-sounder the combination, of a base-plate, asupporting-plate mounted thereon and provided with lugs to space theplate above the base, avertical sounding-post carried by thesupporting-plate, a vertical armaturepost, a horizontal flexiblearmaturecarrying strip secured thereto, means for supporting said strip,a tension device connected to said armature-post, a horizontalelectromagnet mounted on the supporting-plate, a rearward-extendingrack-bar secured to the armature, a rotatable toothed device engagingsaid rack-bar, a spring bearing against said rack-bar and adapted tomaintain the armature in its adjusted position and to permit it to bemanually adjusted in either direction.

6. In a telegraph-sounderthe combination, of a supporting-plate, avertical sounding-post secured thereto, said post being providedwith arearward and downward extending brace connected to its upper end and tothe plate, a

vertical armature-post, provided at its lower end with lateral-extendinghorizontal feet, thin flexible horizontal carrying-strips secured tosaid feet, means for supporting said carryingstrips on the base-plate, avariable-tension device connected to the armature-post, a horizontalslidable electromagnet carried by the base-plate, a transverseretaining-bar secured to the brace of the sounding-post and retainingthe magnet on the base-plate, means for moving the magnet toward or fromthe armature.

7. In a telegraph-sounder the combination, of a supporting-plate, avertical sounding-post secured thereto, said post being provided with arearward and downward extending brace connected to its upper end and tothe plate, a vertical armature provided at its lower end withlateral-extending horizontal feet, thin flexible horizontalcarrying-strips secured to said feet, means for supporting saidcarryingstrips on the base-plate, a Variable-tension device connected tothe armature, a horizontal slidable electromagnet carried by thebaseplate, a transverse retaining-bar secured to the brace of thesounding-post and retaining the magnet on the base-plate, a horizontalrearward-extending rack-bar carried by the magnet, a hollow post on thebase-plate to support said rack-bar, a rotatable toothed device withinsaid post and meshing with the rack, and a spring within said post andbearing on the rack-bar to yielding-1y hold the magnet in its adjustedposition and permit it to be manually adjusted in either direction.

8. In a telegraph-sounder the combination, of a supporting-plate, anelectromagnet, a sounding-post, an armature, thin flexiblearmature-carrying strips connected to said armature and arrangedparallel with the armature-cores and perpendicular to the armature,means for supporting said carrying-strips, a variable-tension deviceconnected to said armature and consisting of a tension-spring, arotatable tension-bar, means for supporting said tension-bar, and africtional device for holding said tension-bar against accidentalrotation and permitting it to be manually rotated in either direction.

9. A variable tension for armatures comprising, an armature, means formounting said armature, a tension-spring connected thereto, a rotatabletension-bar, a post supporting said bar, a spring confined within saidpost and adapted to exert a pressure on said tensionbar to hold it inits adjusted position and to permit it to be readily rotated in eitherdirection.

10. A tension device for armatures comprising, an armature, means formounting said armature, a tension-spring therefor, a rotatabletension-bar, a hollow post supporting said bar, a spring within saidpost and adapted to exert a pressure on the tension-bar, and a screwdevice for fastening said hollow post to a support and to retain theSpring within the post.

11. A tension device for armatures comprising, an armature, means formounting it, a tension-spring connected thereto, a rotatabletension-rod, a hollow post supporting said rod, a disk within said postand secured to said rod, a spring within said post and bearing on saiddisk, a screw-plug adapted to secure said post to a base and to confinethe spring within the post, whereby said screw will secure the post tothe base and regulate the pressure of the spring on the disk.

- l2. Inatelegraph-sounder the combination, of a support, a verticalsounding-post carried by the support, a vertical armature-post,horizontal flexible armature-carrying strips secured to saidarmature-post, means for supporting said strips, a variable-tensiondevice connected to said armature-post, a frictional device to hold thetension, an inclosing case for the frictional device, said case forminga support for the tension device, a horizontal electromagnet, means formoving said magnet from and toward the armature, a frictional retainingmeans to hold said magnet in its adjusted positions and an inclosingcase for said frictional retaining means.

13. In a telegraph-sounder,the combination, of a support, a verticalsounding-post carried by the support, a vertical armature post, meansfor supporting said armature-post, a variable-tension device connectedto said armature-post, a frictional device to hold the tension, aninclosing case for the frictional device, said case forming a supportfor the tension device, ahorizontal electromagnet, means for moving saidmagnet from and toward the armature, a frictional retaining means tohold said magnet in its adjusted positions, and an inclosing case forsaid frictional retaining means.

14. In a telegraph-sounder, the combination, of a support, a verticalsounding-post carried by the support, a vertical armature post, meansfor supporting said armature-post, a rotatable tension-varying device, apost supporting said tension-varying device, a frictional device withinsaid post and engaging the device to yieldingly hold it in its adjustedpositions, means for connecting the tension device to the armature-post,a horizontal electromagnet, means for moving said magnet toward andfromv the armature-post, a rearwardextending bar carried by said magnet,a frictional retaining means engaging said bar to hold the said magnetin its adjusted positions, and a case inclosing said frictional meansand serving as a guide for the bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 5th day of January, 1904.

JOHN F. SKIRROW.

Witnesses:

F. A. NORMAN, T. L. CARPENTER.

